Constant Dew Point Monitoring Ensures Process Quality and Production Output
Built directly in the CNC-Grinding Machines
Application
Monitoring the humidity levels of compressed air supply in CNC-Grinding machines
Goal
Ensuring process and product quality by preventing humidity from forming water droplets
Customer
CNC-Grinding Machine Manufacturer from Europe
Sector
OEM – Manufacturing
Overview and Challenges
1. Overview
Modern manufacturing plants rely heavily on automated CNC grinding machines. To ensure consistent process quality and production output, CNC machine manufacturers specify compressed air quality requirements for their equipment. However, excessive humidity in the compressed air supply can negatively affect both the manufacturing process and the quality of the finished product.
2. Challenge of the Customer
Many end users do not continuously monitor the quality of the compressed air supplied to their CNC machines. As a result, high humidity levels may go unnoticed and lead to production issues, scrap parts, and unnecessary downtime.
Consequently, CNC machine manufacturers often face additional support efforts and increased costs, even though the root cause lies in the compressed air supply.
3. Solution and Implementation
To address the challenge, SUTO iTEC worked with the CNC machine manufacturer to integrate a dew point monitoring system directly into the compressed air inlet of its grinding machines. The system continuously measures dew point, humidity, and temperature and provides clear visibility into the quality of the supplied compressed air.
In addition, two alarm thresholds were implemented. A warning alarm alerts operators when humidity levels begin to rise, while a second alarm automatically stops the machine if the maximum threshold is exceeded. This helps prevent damage to both the manufactured product and the CNC machine itself. The compact S217 OEM Dew Point Transmitter enabled easy integration into the machine’s internal compressed air conditioning system.
4. Results
The integrated dew point monitoring system helped maintain compressed air quality and supported consistent CNC grinding performance.
Higher Quality
Continuous monitoring helped maintain the air quality required for consistent product quality and process stability.
Less Scrap
Early detection of excessive humidity helped reduce production defects and prevent unnecessary material waste.
Lower Downtime
Alarm notifications enabled operators to react quickly to air quality issues and avoid production interruptions.
Better Protection
Automatic shutdown functions helped protect both CNC machines and manufactured products from moisture-related damage.
5. Conclusion
The integration of dew point monitoring directly into the CNC grinding machine provided a simple and cost-effective way to verify compressed air conditions at all times. Furthermore, the solution strengthened communication between the machine manufacturer and end users by providing transparent air quality data and supporting consistently high production standards.
6. Products in Use
The following SUTO iTEC solution was integrated directly into the CNC grinding machine to provide continuous monitoring and protection against humidity-related production issues.
Related Case Studies
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Ensure Process Quality with Continuous Dew Point Monitoring
Compressed air quality plays a critical role in CNC grinding applications. Excessive humidity can affect process stability, reduce product quality, and lead to unnecessary production issues. Therefore, continuous monitoring of dew point, humidity, and temperature helps ensure reliable operating conditions and consistent manufacturing performance.
Improve process quality, reduce production risks, and protect CNC equipment with SUTO iTEC dew point monitoring solutions.
